ARF Announces New Members to Board of Directors

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Dec 3, 2014) - The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) announces today that nine new members have been elected to serve on the organization's Board of Directors. We are proud to welcome the new board members: Carlos Fonseca, Global VP Knowledge & Insights The Coca Cola Co., Bruce Goerlich, Chief Research Officer Rentrak, Gunnard Johnson, SVP Data & Analytics Centro, Jed Meyer, Global Director Research & Analytics Annalect, Wenda Harris Millard, President & COO MediaLink LLC, Barb Murrer, Senior Director, Global Marketplace Insights Levi Strauss and Company, Mary Ann Packo, CEO Millard Brown North America, Howard Shimmel, Chief Research Officer Turner Broadcasting, and Radha Subramanyam, EVP Research, Insights & Analytics iHeartMedia.

"All new appointees bring a wealth of knowledge and are pioneers in their respective career paths," said Gayle Fuguitt, CEO & President of the ARF.

Carlos Fonseca recently joined The Coca Cola Co. as Global Vice-President for Knowledge and Insights. Previously for seven years, he was the Marketing SVP/Group Head for Strategy, Planning and Analytics at MasterCard Worldwide. His previous experience includes brand management, insights and financial analysis positions working for financial services and FMCG companies, including Procter & Gamble, BAT and Citigroup.

Bruce Goerlich, Chief Research Officer Rentrak, thinks of himself as a self-proclaimed "thinkologist." He puts his more than 30 years of media research savvy to use every day working with Rentrak's Research, IT and Operations teams to build and evolve the big data research machine behind Rentrak's powerful rating systems. Bruce says he is driven to help advertisers, broadcast and cable networks, stations, and agencies to employ the extensive and precise Rentrak intelligence to find and leverage the best media opportunities. "We are innovation. We are pioneers in the world of big data and the measurement of movies and TV everywhere," says Goerlich.

Gunnard Johnson is the SVP of Data and Analytics at Centro. Gunnard is charged with strengthening Centro's leadership team to create a new group to drive audience measurement and advanced analytic solutions. His role is to ensure that Centro incorporates robust, easy-to-use data science and marketing attribution features that meet the demand of brand and direct marketers alike.

Jed Meyer serves as Global Director of Research and Analytics at Annalect, part of Omnicom Media Group. Jed is focused on developing models and processes to support and sustain the integration of online and offline data across all Annalect platforms and global markets, creating a single communications planning source. In addition, Jed is responsible for the ongoing global integration, development, and deployment of Omnicom's research and analytics capabilities, with the aim of assuring consistent access and value to Omnicom clients worldwide.

Wenda Harris Millard is currently President and COO of MediaLink LLC, a leading strategic advisory and business development firm that provides critical counsel and direction to the media, advertising and entertainment industries and to companies and investors that interact with those sectors. Before joining Medialink, Wenda was Co-CEO and President, Media for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. She oversaw MSLO's media businesses, which include publishing, internet and broadcasting and was the driving force behind creating cross-platform programs for marketers in TV, digital, magazines and radio.

Barb Murrer, is Senior Director, Global Marketplace Insights, for Levi Strauss and Company, home of Levi's®, the globally iconic brand and apparel leader, founded over 160 years ago. Barb leads the company's insights efforts and, along with her team, work across the business to help inform strategy and tactics in areas such as Marketing, Merchandising, Design, Retail and Ecommerce. In the sixteen years prior to LS&CO, Barb worked for The Clorox Company in Insights leading Shopper, Advanced Analytics and in her last role, Cleaning and International. She has a breadth of experience across Insights specialties as well as across a variety of product categories. 

Mary Ann Packo, CEO of Millward Brown North America, is a world leader in brand and advertising research and consulting. She is responsible for P&L management of a portfolio of brands including Millward Brown, Millward Brown Digital, Firefly, MB Vermeer and MaPS. Mary Ann is also responsible for global marketing and the global digital media and consulting practices at Millward Brown and is a member of the Global Board of Directors.

Howard Shimmel is chief research officer for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.). In this role, Howard oversees day-to-day management of the company's television and digital research professionals supporting the domestic Turner networks and businesses. He is based in New York and reports to Molly Battin, chief media and business insights officer for TBS, Inc.

Radha Subramanyam is Executive Vice President of Research, Insights and Analytics for iheartMedia. She is a seasoned media and entertainment executive with a significant track record as a thought leader in Media Research and Consumer Trends. She is one of the few executives who has touched all media platforms including television, digital, radio, and social media. Radha is known for her translation of research and insights into actionable strategies and results for the companies she works for as well as their clients and partners.

The ARF Board of Directors is made up of over 30 global industry leaders in advertising, marketing, media-tech, insights and analytics. The Board's responsibilities include anticipating industry needs in order to drive advocacy, creating content for the industry and the organization's members, and providing strategic counseling that heightens the ARF's intellectual capital. This team effort gives the ARF the ability to tackle more critical issues for a heightened level of impact.

About the ARF

The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) provides leading and bleeding edge solutions for our members, and evangelizes the team that leads them into action. Together, we challenge conventions and discover new insights that benefit our member network. This collaboration yields meaningful, actionable, and indispensable insights that empower our member network to have a true impact on their marketing and leadership in their organizations.

The ARF is located at 432 Park Ave. South, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10016 and on the web at www.thearf.org. To learn more about the ARF's annual Re:Think 2015, visit: www.rethink-conf.com.